"So, is this what is meant by 'having a monkey on your back'? I gotta tell ya, from the 'monkey' point of view - this is great fun! Maybe we should fit you for a saddle and get me a little parasol so I can ride in real style."

Jayse can almost feel the gnome wince at the thought of trying to carry the man nearly twice his size. "I'll hire some ogres to carry both of us. How does that sound? Either that or I better invest in spells to make me far larger and far stronger."

One more chuckle escapes before Jayse's attention focuses back on the dark footing of the run. After a few more minutes, he speaks midstride, "Would you mind holding on tighter? I know you'll get tired, but I need you to bounce around less. It'll conserve my energy better for the long run."

Jayse isn't gonna be real talkative after a while. The strain of running through the night with a small person on your back has gotta add up, right? Gotta keep his focus and all that.

While not trained in survival, he'll obviously bevlooking for immediate signs of goblin passage, as he'll want to slow down and get quiet if they come up on the goblin pack. If he can, I planned on getting as close to them as possible while stealthed, having Straehan make some kind of distraction, and bolt for the thinnest part of their group (or going around if that looks more promising). My plan is to avoid any kind of fight but to burst past them using Jayse's speed and the gnomes spells. I'm open to Straehan's suggestions as well.

Straehan hunkers down and holds on, trying to minimize bouncing. He only lets out a single, well-intentioned "Hya, Mule!"

The light is all but gone as the reach the road and Jayse can sprint in earnest. Unfortunately, in the dark night, Jayse's eyesight does him few favors. Only the relative smoothness of the path and some well-timed comments from Straehan as his extra eyes, keep the monk moving at anything approaching his normal speed.

As they get used to the rhythms of the night, strange things are clearly afoot. All manner of birds pass them by repeatedly. Birds that should be nesting. Strange, thick fogs billow along either side of the path at times while leaving the path ahead clear. At one point, they hear growly but hushed angry voices off to one side of the road and sounds of splashing. After they pass safely by, Straehan comments that it looked like someone ran afoul of a massive bog that neither of the compatriots recall passing the day before.

It is an odd, long, and weary run. Jayse is encouraged when the path widens and he passes the small farms and clear-cut areas on the outskirts of town. They all appear empty, even the livestock is gone. Jayse and Straehan clear the trees, catch a glimpse of the water in the not-too-far distance, and head across the clear patch of sward before the shingle itself. They stop short - greeted by a series of impromptu barricades made from overturned wagons, sandbags, felled logs, and just about anything else from the town heavy enough to pose an impediment. Clearly, Isolde got a message out. It is 2AM.

The barricades are manned by Thrane (in full armor), Buli, seven fully equipped and armed guardsmen, and about 15 of the townsfolk, all armed and about a third with light armor. Further back, near the top of the shingle, and along several rooftops, are a band of perhaps 20 townsfolk armed with bows.

Still busy so I probably won't be kicking off the battle today - just wanted to set the scene for ya.

Jayse, hands on knees and lungs burning with each rushed breath, takes a minute to take in the scene. "So…. looks like Isolde…… got the message through… good deal."

He takes a few more long breaths before a nervous itch runs between his shoulder blades. With one last wary look back from where he thinks the goblins will come, he mutters to Straehan, "Well, we might as well get into the defensive perimeter."

He moves forward slowly, arms raised up, trying to present as un-aggressive a front as possible while he calls out, "THRANE! BULI! IT'S JAYSE AND STRAEHAN! CAN WE COME INTO TOWN? WE'VE GOT NEWS OF THE WOMAN ISOLDE AND THE GOBLINS!"

Thrane waves you over and has water brought, "Son, we heard you were coming. Isolde may not be so friendly but she pegged your arrival to the minute. Your friends are hurrying along too but it looks like the gobbos will get here before them. How much sooner, we don't know. It looks to be an interesting dawn."

Jayse speaks between long draws on the water, "Well, it's good the message got through. I guess the run wasn't necessary after all. Did she relay about the friendly goblins?"

If Thrane indicates that he doesn't know about them, jayse continues, "Well, some strange things came to light while we were in the field, and it appears that some of the goblins were instigating the attacks and some of them weren't. We have a group of them who have promised to help defend the town against the rogue goblins. The friendly ones will be wearing strips of white or off-white cloth on their temples or arms. They want to help. Please have your people avoid attacking them."

he looks back the way he came, "Did her message indicate how long we have before the attack comes?"

Thrane leads you both away from the line on the pretext of showing you their preparations. He says quietly, "Son, I'm glad you came." He nods to indicate his lightly armed and armored 'army', "These are good lads. They'll do their best... but they are farmers not fighters. I need all the help I can get. I can use your skills here particularly if your friends arrive late."

"Isolde said your people are traveling with goblins. I think maybe she thought they were prisoners. I'll pass the word to leave them be. As for the attack, the H... Isolde couldn't be specific. She's been misleading them for hours now, I guess. She's got a way with nature magic. All she said was that when they come, it'll be straight down the road and we should prepare for that and she'll try to delay them as long as possible."

Fin and Ushari finish their healing, headbands, and preparations and then rush off with their ersatz allies through the bush towards the road. The goblins lead the way, familiar with every shortcut between their cave and the path. They move with military precision - sending flankers out to snoop and protect the main group, rotating through the four warriors to prevent exhaustion.

You reach the road in a bit less than 2 hours and it is a good thing, because it is full dark and Ushari was beginning to have problems navigating through the dense undergrowth in virtual blackness despite her inordinate dexterity. Once on the road, your run truly begins. The goblins pace you, eyes always on the underbrush, flankers rotating in and out of the formation. Rashgari periodically pulling Ushari back on the right course when nightblindness threatens to lead her astray.

Seeing the unnatural fog, bogs, and other inexplicable signs, the goblins mutter to themselves and the flankers stay closer to the main group. Clearly, they are discomfited but they press on relentlessly trying to speed to your destination.

Jayse moves to where Thrane indicates he's most likely to be fighting and sits down, back against a barricade. Meditation comes easily after the long, tiring run, and he spends however much time he has preparing his mind and body for the rigors to come, prepping the warm power he can now feel suffusing his limbs.

Thrane gets Jayse's attention after he's rested a bit. "I'll tell you what I'm thinking and leave it to you to tell me where you think you can help most or if we should change the barricading a bit to help you fight better."

He lays out their plans which are based on assuming a defensive posture and drawing the enemy into narrowing choke-points while covering their flanks as best as possible.

strategy and explanations:

All the barricades are heavily oiled to prevent easy climbing. If they lose control of the walls, they plan to fire the barricades and fall back. The central barricade is the highest (about 10') and should be immune to scaling. The side barricades are only about 5' high and can be scaled. The obstacles in the field are to slow the goblins down and hopefully funnel them to the two obvious entrances in the barricade. They also serve as the range markers for the archers who have all practiced dropping arrows just beyond the barricade. If the goblins can be bottlenecked and held at the barricade entrances, the archers will keep raining arrows until they are out.

If the barricade is lost and fired, the soldiers will retreat to the town limits while the archers fire on the goblins coming through the barricade. If the goblins make it halfway to the shingle, the archers retreat and take up fall back positions near the water. After that, the plan is for the soldiers to hold at the town limits then retreat slowly while the archers cover as best they can. If the goblins keep coming, the soldiers hold and the archers retreat to the waiting boats.... where most of the town's 'non-combatants already wait. If worse comes to worse, the soldiers hold the beach while the remaining boats evacuate or are fired to prevent the goblins from pursuing.

Thrane shrugs, "Its not a great plan but its the best we could do on short notice with no additional support. My boys will fight hard. If we can contain the goblins, the regular townsfolk soldiers should be OK. But if we lose a flank or get overrun, I'm not sure if they will be able to remain strong. I'd rather have an orderly retreat than a rout. That's why I've had them build up the side barricades."

"I was thinking of having Buli right next to the upper barricade entrance with that pigsticker of his and I was planning on holding the lower entrance M-12 ... but I'm open to suggestions about the fortifications, troop positions, or anything else."

Jayse looks over the defenses as the dwarf describes the plan, then shrugs, "It looks like a solid plan, especially given the timetable you've had to construct it. Keep in mind we should try to hold here until Findelgwing, Ushari, and the friendly goblins arrive. That should be enough to break the goblins.. hopefully." He looks over the townspeople preparing for the fight, sensing their unease and fear, then shakes his head.

Are these people ready for this? What am I thinking? Am I ready for this?

He indicates the northern 'gate' (the opening at J-12/13), "You and Buli should try to hold that entrance. The two of you should be able to choke them there pretty effectively, especially if Buli can make good use of that tree he calls a weapon." He looks at the southern entrance, with its wider stance which might be more exploitable by the smaller and mobile aggressors, "Me and Straehan will try to hold here. I'd say give both entrances a few relief fighters in case myself, Straehan, Buli, or yourself falls. It's a good idea to have some men on these barricades, repelling any climbers, but the rest should be back a few paces, ready to rush whatever section of the barricades," he gestures back to the flanks where the barricades lighten up, "or the gaps that come under heavy attack."

He looks at the dwarf, "But I'm not exactly trained for open warfare like this. I can fight, and I'll hold my ground as best I can. But my ideas are uneducated at best." He watches Thrane, obviously expecting him - as the leader of the town - to make the final decision.

I'm only suggesting Jayse take the bigger opening because he has a hell-of-a-CMD and Combat Reflexes, which means they either have to 5' step by him or try an acrobatics check vs. 23 to get by. This should slow them down enough for Jayse and Straehan to deal with the numbers.

Thrane nods. "I don't want to leave you to hold the wider gap without a bit more assistance than my boys can give you. I'll take a position behind the central barricade, guarding the upper opening. But if you get in trouble, call out and I can be over there quick to help you out, hopefully."

"I'm leaving some men in the middle to assist where-ever the fighting gets hottest and to guard our flanks. As for your friends... I hope they get here before the gobbos. I'd rather have them on our side of the barricade. But we've fought gobbos before. We'll hold this barricade until they are swarming us like fleas. I'll give your friends all the time I can."

FWIW, Jayse, all the guards along the barricade have swords ready but are currently armed with long-spears to skewer opponents near or on the barricades.

Their posts decided, Straehan has certain small areas of the barricade cleared of oil lest he set them on fire with an ill-aimed blast. He then roams among the troops trying to raise spirits and allay fears. Jayse catches snatches of his light commentary:

"...Jayse ran all night to get us here - we didn't want you boys having all the fun!"

"...we fought a rotting undead beast and skeletons in the goblin's own cave... this troop won't be half so dangerous, don't you worry. We'll kill them all and be drinking ale by lunch. I'm buying."

"...scary? We battled a demon once with a pecker bigger than Etta Thrane is tall! Now THAT was scary!"

"...don't worry, men. You've a strong barricade, great help - if I say so myself - and our allies will jump them from behind. They don't stand a chance!"

After an hour of morale boosting, Straehan sits down heavily by Jayse and gives him a weary grin. He says quietly, "When it starts, give me a moment to armor you with mystic energy."

Jayse nods to Straehan's suggestion. "Make sure you keep enough power to keep yourself protected as well." With that, he goes back to his quiet meditation, letting his mind and body reserve energy for the trial to come.

Jayse, Straehan, and the fighting men of Forestal sit behind the barricades to rest, conserving their strength. Hours pass before they hear dull clattering in the woods and hushed growls. The temperature drops suddenly and wisps of fog are seen swirling through the trees. blocking all sight save on the road.

The men stand up, stretch quietly to loosen up tight muscles, and ready themselves. Buli and Thrane pass among the men issuing whispered instructions. One man waves a flag to the archers at the edge of town who knock bolts and arrows.

After a few short minutes, you see a vast group of goblins stagger out of the forest and onto the road,perhaps 30' or 40' from the end of the treeline. They are coated in mud and look as if they have been slogging through a swamp. Despite their haggard appearance, they bear a startling ferocity to their looks. They have come for blood. More goblins pour from the forest onto the road along with a single hobgoblin. He sees the barricade and immediately barks orders, but he really didn't need to. Without thought, the goblins form neat ranks, facing their adversaries. No words are spoken. It is peculiar behavior for skirmish and surprise fighters like goblins. A whisper of concern goes through Forestal's ranks. Thrane just growls, "Steady, boys. Remember who we are defending. Spears ready."

As soon as the goblins first appear and starting forming ranks, Straehan casts his spell on Jayse and then himself. Jayse AC: 21"Well, I guess it is about time to pick a fight." He steps out from behind the barricade, a small gnome in front of a great gap in the defensive line. He yells something short and concise in Goblin, similar to what he said in the caves that goaded the goblins there to attack.

Thrane guffaws, clearly understanding the language. He says to Jayse and his men, "He's got pluck, I'll give him that. He just said that all their mothers like to read and he taught them to read while they were turning tricks for him in his brothel."

The goblins seem all but oblivious to the taunt. Straehan shifts nervously and tries another tack. Accompanying a clearly sexual hip-thrust motion, he bellows, "Igh baszhkak umma 'Dweller in Darkness' saktujg useterek HAI!"

A cry of pure rage boils from all the goblins simultaneously and they surge forward, still staying in their precise units. It is like watching chess pieces moved across a board by an unseen hand. Straehan scampers back behind cover, his fear not entirely a sham. He prepares his next spell, saying to Jayse. "Well, we now know the Dweller has an ego."

As the goblins pour across the killing field, Jayse reaches for the Calm. As his emotions go silent, Jayse senses the new power in the core of him like a brilliant white-blue pinpoint of light hanging in the center of the Calm. Knowing what he'll find, he reaches his mind towards it, and as he makes contact, a power is unleashed from the light. Like a rush of frozen fire it races from his mind, across the skin of his body towards his right hand… towards the strange stone. Straehan sees the subtlest of smiles appear on his lips just before a brilliant blue light flashes from his hand, igniting into the shape of a long, slightly curved, single-bladed sword with glyphs like those on his hands running from hilt to tip. The sizzling sound of water poured on a hot fire signal the manifesting of the strange pale blue blade, and the dim light of the blade flares slightly… echoed by a quick flare of the same blue in the young man's eyes. As it finishes forming, and the light in the blade and Jayse's eyes dims, Jayse looks over at Straehan for a moment, that small smile still prevalent and speaks in one of hsi strange tongues.

The ground thrums with the goblins' charge. Thrane watches the approaching mob and raises a hand to the flagman, holding it steady. At the last moment, when it seems the deafening footfall of the goblins can't get any louder, his hand chops down, the flagman waves, and a second later an impressive number of arrows and crossbow bolts arc over the defenders. Only a few stray shots hit the barricade itself but they are quickly forgotten when compared to the wet sound of arrows striking goblin flesh and the grunts of the wounded. Undaunted, the goblins keep coming - smashing against the barricades and sluicing through the deliberate openings. Some barely reach the barricades before Forestal spears taste their blood. One goblin dies, punctured by an arrow and finished by a guardsman's spear.

Thrane sweeps his massive waraxe horizontally across the opening attempting to remove more than one goblin head but the uncanny goblins duck beneath his blow even as one is almost gored on Buli's boar spear.

Seeing the loss of nearly a third of the force attacking the southern entrance, the hobgoblin and his group move north, avoiding the arrow-ridden kill zone. The hobgoblin and his frontline draw their bows and fire as the wave of goblins attack the defenders.

Goblin arrows plunge into Buli and the townsmen holding the northern barricade. Goblin steel wounds two guardsmen. Jayse receives a glancing blow across his bicep.

Looking across the scene, all the defenders are holding but the force directly guarding the northern barricade is weakened and there are many goblins pressing them.

Hearing the distant clash of battle, Fin, Ushari, and their new compatriots sprint forward through an unnatural mist and come upon the scene of battle, their presence undetected by the enemy in front of them.

Justin: Would Ushari's and my group have had time to cast any spells prior to arriving at our current position? Ideally, I'd like for Fin to have cast expeditious retreat at the first sign of fighting, followed by shield. The double-movement rate of expeditious retreat would easily allow for her to cast those spells and catch-up to where you have her now.

EDIT: Apparently Eric wants me to hold-up so Ushari can cast bless. Sheesh! Anyway, since we're all acting at the same initiative order, Fin will go after the bless. :P

Seeing and hearing the sound of pitched battle ahead of them, Findelgwing draws her sword in one hand and seems to almost growl something alien under her breath. As she flourishes the blade, the wind seems to swirl around her accelerating the tall girl's movements and deflecting stones and debris kicked-up by those running past her. Casts expeditious retreat and shield.

AC 16 + 4 = 20 shield

With a burst of speed, she catches up to Ushari and the shaman, quickly surveying the field. At once, her keen elven eyes spot the largest enemy. Charging at the goblin formation like a madwoman, Fin jumps high into the air (8-ft high × 30-ft -long with the below results) vaulting over the goblins in a leaping charge, swinging her sword with all her might as she comes down at him!

OK, then Ushari would cast Expeditious Retreat, and Shield of Faith on herself.

Ushari slows and sees the main goblin formation ahead. Correctly divining Fin's intention to charge, she lays a hand on her shoulder and takes out her Music Box. Concentrating on the divine symbols flowing in an intricate pattern on the surface, she cries out a phrase of glory, and a holy radiance bursts forth engulfing Fin, Ushari, the Shaman, and their goblin allies with the blessing of divine power.

Cast Bless, +1 to all attack rolls, and +1 to saves vs. fear effects.

Once done, she draws her bow, nocking an arrow for greeting the goblin invaders.

Fin all but hurdles the entire band of goblins, striking at the larger hobgoblin as she rotates a full 180 degrees in the air above him. Her feet slap heavily onto the ground at just about the same instant the hobgob's left ear, cut free by her blow, strikes the earth.

Ushari puts the metal box down and takes a small step away. The box rocks energetically. Ushari, recalling that the legs were triggered when Isolde pressed the top button, quickly stoops near the rocking little cube and clicks the top button.

The results are immediate: The box springs in the air from the legs popping out from underneath it. The legs are golden, tapered to points and look extremely sharp. It looks like nothing so much as a four-legged, square crab. It quickly spins on its legs as if surveying its surroundings.

It turns a side to Ushari where the fine metal filigree seems to have sprung loose from the box's surface. She sees two small red gemstones that look like eyes and the loose filigree appear to be antennae or possibly... eyebrows. They curve into a solid 'V' when facing her.

>:

The box chitters at her and minces on its claws. It raises a claw and makes a violent slashing motion then points at the various goblins on the field. When Ushari doesn't say anything, unsure what to make of the strange little crustacean, it bounces up and down then stands on its hind legs and moves its front two claws to vaguely gesture towards the entire group of goblins near Fin. It then emits a climbing scale of music. It stops and looks at Ushari.

Ushari realizes the crustacean is trying to say something. Something she recalls during her reverie indicates the construct would be useful in assisting in combat distracting its opponents. She no longer hesitates, and points at the group of the goblins currently swarming Fin.

Jayse leaps onto a wagon forming the back of the central barricade to assist Thrane and shore up a hole in the defense.
Jayse - take the high ground advantage if you strike from here.

Thrane is emboldened by how well the battle at the southern barricade has gone and tries to match the feats of destruction being wrought there. "Drive them back lads! Kill them all!" Unfortunately, his deeds do not match his spirit and the men at the north barricade do little more than hold their own against the goblins massed there.

The guards at the south barricade bring down yet another goblin with their long spears.

Unimpressed by his own and his people's performance, he growls at the flagman, "DAMMIT! Signal the archers - concentrate fire on the north barricade!

Arrows rain down but only about half find their mark and one strikes a guardsman in the shoulder. He cries out but holds his position.

At the northern barricade, a pair of goblins swing around the flank, slashing up the farmer acting as rear-guard. He cries for help while slowly retreating. The main line of goblins scramble along the barricade, leaping at the defenders, injuring several.

Fin's attack is so sudden and timed so well with Rashgari's team's assault that the goblins are thrown into a state of confusion. They surround Fin but their attacks are clumsy and fail to put the tall elf down. Two low blows manage to penetrate her defenses, however, opening gashes along one leg.

Vargr, from his hiding spot in the southern wood, sees the small Elf woman get surrounded. He charges immediately moving past the tiny girl and her goblin friends.

Fin sees a massive furred creature charge towards her bearing an absolutely huge greatsword. It and his clothing - an armored kilt and a whipping armored leather jacket - are the only things that convince her he isn't a were-lion. She is relieved when his blow crashes down on one of the goblins flanking her. The blow crushes the goblin, driving it into the ground.

Ushari notes the strange ccreature who has moved to assist Fin, but can do little to help her for now. She concentrates on helping her goblin escorts stay alive. She waves at Rashgari to hold her ground, and moves away from her escort move to I10 while drawing her bow, and sights carefully on the closest enemy goblin currently engaged with Rashgari's guards. Once she is satisfied with her distance, she once again summons her divine energy to flow out and heal her allies, while leaving the enemy goblins out of the wash of radiant energy.

The box hesitates, opting between targets. It scuttles back towards its mistress while playing the incessant tune. The sound build until it crescendos on 'Pop' - emitting a wall of nearly visible sonic force which sweeps over the three attacking goblins. The goblins wince, rocked by ear-bleeding damage.

The little box rubs its sharp front claws together and moves towards the goblins...

Straehan tumbles through the enemy line and then rakes his claws against the back of the goblin he just passed. His tumbling pass was a little too energetic and his off-balance claw strikes catch only air.

Jayse's attention becomes split as he watches one of the farmers look to be in danger on the northern edge at the same time as Fin is pressed by the new furry beast from the forest.

Deal with the immediate... Then move to affect what else you can, he thinks as he begins a series of speedy attacks on the goblins just to his north, trying to dance into them to break their push on the wall.

I think inserting a 5' step in the middle of a full round action (FOB) is prohibited. If I'm wrong on that, let me know. The closest option would be to 5' step to J-12 then FOB any two of the three targets J-11/I-11/I-12. Without a flanking or some other bonus, your second shot will miss but your first is golden.
I'm not against entertaining a rule change here - just saying what I think is RAW.

I'm fairly certain I read that it's kosher in Pathfinder. I'll look for an example. The easiest argument I can find, however is in the definition of a free action, which says it takes so little effort that it can be done at any time.

Found it. Pg 187. Under Full-round actions, Full-Attacks. I think second paragraph.